Shrubs, mound-forming, 0.2–1.5 m. Stems erect, long shoots only, young branches green, becoming blue-green with age, canescent, tips thorny. Leaves: blade linear or linear-lanceolate, 4–20 × 1–5 mm, ape\× mucronate, surfaces canescent, lacking glandular hairs. Inflorescences axillary, solitary flowers. Flowers: sepals reflexed, purple or dark maroon, lanceolate, 7–13 mm; secretory petals dark purple, red-brown, pink, or yellow, 1.5–4.5 mm, with oil-filled blisters covering outer surfaces; petaloid petals 3–6 mm, distinct, green basally, pink or purple distally, narrowly oblanceolate; stamens didynamous; ovary tomentose; style red or pink. Capsules cordate to circular in outline, often with conspicuous longitudinal ridge, 5.5–10 mm diam., canescent, sericeous, or tomentose, spines slender, 1.5–5.5 mm, each bearing unicellular hairs basally and amber-colored recurved barbs to 1 mm near tip. 2n = 12.
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